Housing: Room for Rent…Or Not?

United Nations Human Rights Council logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most stressful aspects of arriving in a new country is trying to get a clean and safe place to live. A lot of newcomers come to Canada with children. The school they select is based upon where they live, so finding good, affordable accommodation quickly becomes one of the most important decisions any newcomer makes while trying to put down roots in Canada.

It is important that newcomers read a bit about the laws that govern housing in Canada. There is a Human Rights Code or Human Rights Act for every province that governs the way accommodations are leased and rented in that province. For instance, according to the Ontario Human Rights housing code,  anyone - be they newcomers or citizens - should be able to get good housing that they can afford. To this end, both tenants and landlords (or housing providers) have clearly defined rights and responsibilities.

To find out more about the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords, I approached John Fraser, Program Manager at the housing advocacy group Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA). He guided me through the minefield of legal terms which are often confusing rather than enlightening.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

CNMag: How will newcomers learn about your organization CERA, as usually they are referred to you only if they have a problem?

JF: Right off the bat I would like to reinforce the fact that as a tenant, newcomers have the right to equal treatment in housing without discrimination and harassment.

The Ontario Human Rights code is very clear that you cannot be refused an apartment, harassed by a housing provider or other tenants, or otherwise be treated unfairly because of your race, colour or ethnic background, religious beliefs or practices, ancestry, place of origin, citizenship, including refugee status, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), family status, marital status, including people with a same-sex partner, disability, sexual orientation, age, or because you are receiving welfare.

You are also protected if you feel you have been discriminated against because you are a friend or relative of someone identified above. That said, the facts on the ground are different. People do face discrimination in housing over some of the above issues. It is when they are turned down for accommodation that they approach us through a settlement agency.

CNMag: So you are their last resort?

JF: Yes you can say that. We are the people they turn to before they take any legal action. Although we try and avoid doing this as it is a costly and time consuming affair. The way it works is like this: the settlement worker usually talks to the housing provider on behalf of the potential tenant. It is when the landlord or property management firm tries to avoid solving the problem that we intervene at the request of the social worker.

CNMag: Can you help us understand your advocacy work better with an example?

JF: Sure. I know of this physician from Bangladesh who came here as an immigrant. He came alone and stayed with his brother for six months. He did odd jobs for a few months and got laid off. He is now on social assistance. It was all okay until his brother's wife joined them in Toronto. It was then that the physician decided to look for another apartment. Although there was availability in the same building, the property manager declined him tenancy based on the fact the physician was receiving social assistance. The settlement worker contacted us and we got involved. We spoke to the property management company suggesting to them the different courses of action we could take, including filing a human rights complaint if they did not change their stance. The outcome was positive as the client was offered accommodation and is now quite well-settled.

CNMag: What are the rights of of the housing provider or landlord? After all, they must be sure of the tenants' ability to pay.

JF: The Ontario Human Rights housing code is fair both ways, as after all, the housing provider must be sure of the tenant's ability to pay rent as they are in the business of renting and not a charity. When renting accommodation there are certain rules and regulations which must be observed. Landlords are well within their rights to ask for rental history, credit references and/or credit checks. However, a lack of rental or credit history in the case of an immigrant should not count against you.

CNMag: In general what has been your experience working at CERA?

JF: We commissioned a discrimination audit across Ontario in 2009.  The findings show that 1 in 4 people or 25% were not offered housing because they were on social assistance. 1 in 3 or 35% were discriminated against because of mental health issues, single parents were denied housing 14% of the time, while people with Caribbean accents denied housing 28% of the time and south Asians were discriminated against 23% of the time. We have been doing advocacy work since 1987 and despite the human rights code the barriers that keep disadvantaged people from getting and keeping their home are in no way gone. Housing discrimination most often affects marginalized communities and our aim is to promote and enforce human rights in housing for people across Ontario.

For more information on the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA):
Visit: www.equalityrights.org
Call 1-800-263-1139
Email: cera@equalityrights.org.
Their CHER site provides housing workers and advocates across Canada with tools and information to overcome barriers.

For Human Rights Codes in your province, click these links:

Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut (click on "Human Rights Act, consolidation of")
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon

Source: http://cnmag.ca/issue-42/1103-room-for-rentor-not

Adapting: What’s Your Name Again?

University of British Columbia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Sandra Fletcher

One day last month a memo came from Human Resources: “Your employee, Chung Ming Min, needs to complete this form...” No problem... with one exception – who was Chung Ming Min? There were several employees in my division with the last name of Min and several more had Chung or Ming in their names. Who was I looking for?

Turned out it was Jenny Min. It took me a whole day to figure it out and it was only by looking through half a dozen old employee files that I managed to come up with the solution.

Changing or adopting new names in order to more easily assimilate to another culture has been going on for  generations. A century ago, when Irish orphans arrived in Quebec they were asked to adopt French Canadian names. It was thought, at the time, that having names that were similar to the other citizens would make it easier for the children to blend in. Most did change their names but some refused, and to this day you will often hear Irish names still used in Quebec.

To avoid discrimination following World War II, many of the people who immigrated to Canada from Germany and Russia changed their last names. Schwartz was changed to Black (the literal translation from German to English) and the Russian Romanovsky, was changed to Roman. Whether or not the prejudice would have existed based on their name alone is unknown but it gave the families security, believing they had done something to distance themselves from their past.

Sometimes people change their names just for the sake of making things easier to spell. Polish names often contain letters that can’t be translated into English characters. Other names have different meanings in their original language than they do in English. Even the current US President, Barack Hussein Obama was known as Barry Obama in College!

It is very common for newcomers to Canada to adopt a Canadian-ized name – but do you have to in order to get ahead? The simple answer is no. It is not a requirement to have an Anglicised name to get along in Canada. Although it may make your life easier if you make modifications.

According to a study from the University of British Columbia called Why Do Skilled Immigrants Struggle in the Labor Market? A Field Experiment with Six Thousand Résumés, “Canadian-born individuals with English-sounding names are much more likely to receive a callback for an job interview after sending their resumes compared to foreign-born individuals, even among those with foreign degrees from highly ranked schools, or among those with the same listed job experience but acquired outside of Canada.” Professor Philip Oreopoulos, the author of the study published in 2009, argued that the gap in the employment rates of immigrants not even making it to the interview stage in the job application process.”

By law, employers aren’t allowed to discriminate based on your cultural background. Does it happen though? Of course it does. Ask yourself this: When speaking to a recruiter, can I clearly pronounce and have the person I’m speaking to understand what my full name is? If you can’t – then perhaps it would be best to use a pseudonom (same as an alias or a nickname). It’s a name you can substitute for your own.

However, all of us have a legal name. That is the name registered on all of your paperwork and what you would use for banking, taxes and in any dealings with the government. In addition to your legal name you can adopt another.

Eustathios is often changed to Steve, Jaspal can be Jas and Chung Ming can be Jenny. It’s your choice. The trend nowadays on résumés is to provide both options. For example, the name portion of the resume itself would read:

"Kwun-Mei (Bonnie) Tao"

Both the Chinese and Anglicized names are listed. It’s extremely important though that you remain consistent on all of your paperwork, and if you use the name Bonnie – stick with it!

To legally change your name you would need to complete official paperwork with the government. Your papers will all be reissued in your new name. You can find out more information about the fees and requirements on the Government of Canada website.

Ultimately, it’s important to be true to yourself and how you identify yourself is part of that.

I have a friend named May Ling Lee. At work, she is May Ling. To her friends, she is May Ling. To her family, she is Susan – sister to Heather and Jessica. These are the names they helped each other choose when they arrived in Canada as children from Hong Kong. To me, May Ling will never be a ‘Susan’.

To answer the question – what is in a name? – William Shakespeare said “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”.

Sandra Fletcher
Sandra has specialized in Employment Services for over a decade. Her areas of expertise are Newcomer Settlement and Privacy Practices. She can be reached at sandrawrotethat@gmail.com

Source: http://cnmag.ca/issue-38/1029-adapting-whats-your-name-again-n00

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Canada's new Start-Up Visa aims at entrepreneurs seeking status

By  AR Vasquez

Canada's Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, announced this week that entrepreneurs from around the world can apply for the new Start-Up Visa Program as of April 1, a "first of its kind".

The program's objective is to attract the "world's best and brightest entrepreneurs from around the world" to bring innovative business ventures to Canada. The catch is that they must find financial backing from Canadian investors.

"Canada is open for business to the world’s start-up entrepreneurs. Innovation and entrepreneurship are essential drivers of the Canadian economy. That is why we are actively recruiting foreign entrepreneurs - those who can build companies here in Canada that will create new jobs, spur economic growth and compete on a global scale - with our new start-up visa.”--Minister Jason Kenney, Citizenship and Immigration Canada

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) state in their official press release that they are working with Canada’s Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA) and the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO), two umbrella organizations, to find and designate the venture capital funds and angel investor groups who are interested in participating in the program.

To receive designation to participate in the Start-Up Visa Program, a venture capital (VC) fund had to be a full member in good standing of the CVCA. VC funds that met this criterion and manage over $40 million in capital were automatically eligible to participate. VC funds that manage less than $40 million had to apply to the CVCA to participate in the Start-Up Visa Program. A number of factors were considered, including referrals from current CVCA members and interviews that the CVCA conducted with the limited partners of the fund. --CIC

Interested immigrant entrepreneurs who want permanent resident status via the new start-up visa program need to find the financial support from these Canadian investors to launch their new start-up business in Canada. Other requirements for applicants are that they have a minimum one year of post-secondary education and that they meet language proficiency skills at a Canadian Language Benchmark 5 in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

CIC has posted the list of venture capital funds and angel investor groups on their website.

The Start-Up Visa program is a five year pilot program focusing on the "quality of the applicants and on establishing a track record of success."

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/346849#ixzz2P7l4snv5

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TRU researching immigration to communities across Canada

Thompson Rivers University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By bcummins on March 25, 2013

Researchers at Thompson Rivers University are playing an important role in a federally-funded research network aimed at fostering welcoming communities and supporting the integration of immigrants into communities across Canada, including small and medium-sized centres.

Julie Drolet, associate professor at TRU’s Faculty of Human, Social and Educational Development, is leading the BC node of the project with co-investigator Paul Bramadat of UVic. The Pathways to Prosperity Partnership involves 50 universities and over 100 partner organizations across five regional nodes. The Partnership will research and support policy development on immigration to communities across Canada.

Julie Drolet

“Historically most of the research on immigration has considered the role of newcomers in metropolitan cities of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver,” says Drolet. “With secondary migration we need to know more about the experiences of immigrants and newcomers in smaller communities. This project addresses the urgent need to understand the social and economic issues faced in these communities and we are pleased that we are able to play an important role in this kind of research initiative.”

Drolet says that work during the first year of the Partnership includes developing the infrastructure of the nodes and consultation with immigrant-serving organizations, community groups, and all levels of government. The BC node is planning to take the lead in developing one or two proposals for pan-Canadian projects, and will also have opportunities to engage in local research of specific interest to communities in BC. Drolet notes that this kind of research will be of benefit to both immigrants and the communities they enter. “Newcomer integration is a two-way process,” she explains. “Newcomers are adapting and Canadian residents are also adapting.”

While issues such as the economic impact of immigration are often considered, Drolet says that it is also important to consider the social dimensions of immigration. “Many small communities in BC have declining populations, so it’s important to ask how immigrants can be attracted to small communities, and how well they are able to integrate into these communities.”

Drolet notes that TRU researchers will be working collaboratively with researchers from other universities and also with local stakeholders such as Kamloops Immigrant Services. “This is a great opportunity for TRU,” she explains. “Research we conduct here will develop new knowledge about immigration, and we can share practices with other parts of the province and nationally.”

MORE INFORMATION
Julie Drolet
School of Social Work and Human Service, TRU
Office: 250-828-5258 | Cell 250-574-5258 | Email: jdrolet@tru.ca

Source: http://inside.tru.ca/2013/03/25/tru-researching-immigration-to-communities-across-canada/

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Intake of applications in Quebec-update

Following a decision by the governmentdecision published in the Gazette officielle du Québec on March 27, 2013, the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles is renewing its rules relating to the intake of applications according to immigration class.

Rules according to immigration class

Immigration subclass
Bussinesspeople
Investors	No new applications will be accepted until July 31, 2013
Entrepreneurs and self-employed workers	No new applications will be accepted until July 31, 2013
Skilled workers	See below to determine if you can submit an application in the Skilled worker class until July 31, 2013

Skilled workers

You can submit an immigration application as a skilled worker only if one of the following situations applies to you:

• You temporarily reside in Québec as a temporary worker. You meet the eligibility conditions of the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (Temporary worker) (PEQ - Québec experience program for temporary workers) or are eligible to apply for a selection certificate under the regular program for skilled workers.

• You have obtained a diploma awarded by a Québec teaching institution for studies done in Québec or you are about to obtain that diploma and you meet the eligibility conditions of the Programme de l’expérience québécoise (Québec Graduate) (PEQ - Québec experience program for Québec graduates).

• You reside temporarily in Québec as a foreign student, you are eligible to apply for a selection certificate under the regular program for skilled workers and you are submitting your application in Québec.

• You reside temporarily in Québec within the framework of a youth exchange program subject to an international agreement, such as a work holiday program. You are working full time in Québec, you areeligible to apply for a selection certificate under the regular program for skilled workers and you are submitting your application in Québec.

• You or your accompanying spouse hold a diploma awarded by a teaching institution in an area of training allowing you to get 6 (see list, inFrench, 38 kb), 12 or 16 points under the area of training criterion of the selection grid for skilled workers (see list, in French, 35 kb). The number of years of study required to obtain your diploma must be at least equal to the number of years required to obtain that diploma in Québec. This diploma was obtained less than five years before the date of your application. Failing that, you must have practised, on a full-time basis and for at least one year out of the five years preceding the date of your application, a profession or trade in an area related to that diploma.
• You or your accompanying spouse hold a Québec diploma or a diploma treated as a Québec diploma that sanctions at least one year of full-time studies. This diploma was obtained less than five years before the date of your application. Failing that, you must have practised, on a full-time basis and for at least one year out of the five years preceding the date of your application, a profession or trade in an area related to that diploma.

• You or your accompanying spouse hold an employment offer made by a Québec employer and validated by the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles.

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada informed you that your application for permanent residence in Canada was admissible for processing.

• You reside temporarily in Québec, you were a Canadian citizen at one time and you are submitting you application in Québec.

If none of these situations applies to you, you cannot submit an application until July 31, 2013